Coming off a heartbreaking national championship defeat, the UNC Tar Heels have all the pieces in place to make another run in NCAA tournament next year. Losing seniors Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson, it looks to be an uphill climb for North Carolina, but there’s one player that can keep them at the top, Tony Bradley. Bradley, an incoming freshman from Bartow, FL has all the attributes to be an imposing figure at the next level. “Right now, I’m just focused on getting ready for next year, getting my body right and getting in shape,” explained the 6’10” power forward. “I want to be ahead of what they’re doing so that I can be on top of things.”

 

Throughout his accolade-filled high school career at Bartow High School (Bartow, FL), Bradley proved to always be ahead of the curve. After hitting a growth spurt that saw him grow to 6’7” in the ninth grade, scouts all across the country arrived to get a glimpse of the high school phenom, and then followed the offers. However, when it came time to make a decision in September of his senior year, only one school seemed coherent. “Their play style fits me best because they play just like my high school,  with a fast tempo.” Bradley continued. “For me, it went very quickly. I committed in September, so it was fun for me and wasn’t very stressful.”

Since he committed before the start of his senior season, he was able to dedicate his whole season to his game.

With a selfless attitude and an eagerness to contribute to his team, Bradley was chosen to play in the both the 2016 McDonald’s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic. “It was a great experience, even to be invited to play in those prestigious games.” says the All-American. “It was great playing against the top competition and I learned a lot more about the game.”

 

Despite the awards and accolades, Bradley has had his fair share of misfortune. Plagued with hand and wrist fractures as an underclassman, injuries prevented Bradley from reaching his full potential early in his career. “That really slowed down my progress in my high school years.” he said.

Now that he is fully healthy, college basketball fans will now get an opportunity to see Bradley at his best. Joined by four-star commits Brandon Robinson and Seventh Woods, North Carolina should, once again, be at the top of the ACC. Pundits have criticized Bradley for his explosiveness, which is something that he is looking to improve before he starts at the next level, saying, “I just want to be more explosive. That’s one thing that I’ve gotten a lot better at, but I still want to be even better.”

 

Although Bradley was able to truly take advantage of his work with Bartow High School, perhaps his best development came with his AAU Team, Each 1 Teach 1. Competing in the Nike EYBL, Bradley was able to spar with some of the nation's top talent and prove his worth to them. “The competition level is very high.” he claimed. “Each game, you play against someone well known at each position. So, that’s what I looked forward to in the EYBL, bettering my game, and it really helped me.”

 

Tony Bradley, through his experience in the Nike EYBL and at Bartow High School, is prepared and equipped to make noise in the ACC. UNC may be coming off a national championship loss, but with the help of Bradley, the Tar Heels are “Ahead of the Curve”.